Mr. Coco Bertin MOWA WANDJIE has distinguished himself through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to Cameroonian society and beyond. For this reason, three institutions agreed to offer him a degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (Litterarum humanarum doctor) and leadership awards, namely Higher Purpose FCM, Institut Universitaire de Développement International (IUDI) and Promise Christian University. The institutions involved have organized a buffet dinner on Friday, September 15, 2023, at 6:30 PM and a graduation ceremony on Saturday, September 16, at 10 AM. The venue of both events is Marriot Courtyard Hotel 14634 Baldwin Park Town Center, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (USA).
Those who want to pay for their trip and sojourn to honor him can contact us, and we will issue them the necessary invitation letter. Please write to Prof. Moussa Bongoyok at iudienvoyage[at]gmail.com (please replace [at] with @) or through the response link below.
Video in English
M. Coco Bertin MOWA WANDJIE s’est distingué par ses contributions humanitaires et philanthropiques à la société camerounaise et au-delà. Pour cette raison, trois institutions ont accepté de lui offrir un diplôme de Docteur en Lettres Humaines (Litterarum humanarum doctor) et des prix de leadership, à savoir le Higher Purpose FCM, l’Institut Universitaire de Développement International (IUDI) et Promise Christian University. Les institutions impliquées ont organisé un dîner buffetle vendredi 15 septembre 2023 à 18h30 et une cérémonie de remise des diplômes le samedi 16 septembre à 10h. Le lieu des deux événements est le Marriot Courtyard Hotel 14634 Baldwin Park Town Center, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (États-Unis).
Ceux qui souhaitent payer leur voyage et séjourner pour l’honorer peuvent nous contacter et nous leur enverrons la lettre d’invitation nécessaire. Veuillez écrire au professeur Moussa Bongoyok à iudienvoyage[at]gmail.com (veuillez remplacer [at] par @) ou via le lien de réponse ci-dessous.
Today is a special day for Christianity. Many non-Christians have also adopted Christmas out of solidarity or for personal convenience. It, therefore, seems appropriate to us to stimulate reflection on the deep meaning of this festival and its impact on humanity in the light of Luke 2:13-14: “Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (NIV)
These words follow the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and his solemn announcement to the shepherds who tended their flocks in the vicinity of Bethlehem. It was at night. The timing could not be better to announce the birth of the Light of the world. However, the symbol does not stop there because the choice of shepherds seems highly disconcerting. Indeed, the shepherds did not have a good reputation at that time. People perceived them as dirty, dishonest, and unreliable. They were, therefore, on the margins of society. But curiously, it is on them and not on the political authorities, the religious leaders, or the business men and women that the choice of God falls to have the scoop of this announcement as exceptional as it is. But what is the deep meaning of this divine strategy?
The hermeneutical key seems to reside in the two fundamental concepts: “glory” and “peace”. Although the original text is in Greek, the terms dóxa (glory) and eirênê (peace) naturally refer to Hebrew realities because the first listeners were Jews. Thus, the glory does not only translate the external beauty and the excellence of the divine nature. It also reflects the Hebrew term kavod, which means “glory, honor, respect, distinction, and importance.” Thus, beyond the aesthetic dimension, the divine majesty is so immense that its weight is terrifying. As a result, human norms and conventions crumble like a house of cards before divine glory, giving shepherds the same value in the eyes of God as any other individual in society. The reasoning is simple: everybody is welcome since even marginalized people are now valued. Christmas is good news for everyone, without any discrimination. What about the second concept?
Here too, it would be aberrant to see in peace mentioned in this text the notion of absence of war and conflict conferred by the etymological meaning of this term in Greek. Instead, this word is deeply rooted in the Jewish cultural and religious context. Thus, “peace” refers to the Hebrew term shalom. It confers the idea of harmony in all dimensions of the human condition. It is harmony with God, with oneself, with one’s fellow beings, with one’s activities, and with one’s environment. In short, it is holistic well-being. At Christmas, God announces to humanity the solution to the multidimensional imbalance caused by the fall in the Garden of Eden. Through Christ, God is interested in spiritual, physical, psychological, social, economic, environmental, and integral welfare of His creatures. It is also under this holistic paradigm that the Lord Jesus placed his ministry through reading the passage from the book of Isaiah, which relates to it in detail (cf. Luke 4:16-19 and Isaiah 61:1 -2 [old Greek version]). Thus, the shepherds have become agents of integral transformation. They promptly assumed this responsibility, spreading the good news in their immediate surroundings (cf. Luke 2:16-20). We then understand that if the outcast can be catalysts for holistic peace, those with a more honorable social position can do it more.
Therefore, this profound message has a broader scope than a superficial reading of the text! The fact that the text is available today, even translated into multiple languages and within reach of the contemporary public, challenges us all. To celebrate Christmas in the spirit of the biblical story is to go beyond the peripheral, material, commercial or worldly dimensions to live the values it contains. As former US President John Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) so aptly said, “Christmas is not a day or a season; it’s a state of mind.” Beyond Christmas’s lively and temporal character, human beings may draw from the depth of their relationship with the Creator of the universe and everything within it to be an instrument of peace in all its dimensions. In so doing, the world would be a better place to live. May it please the Lord to grant us the courage, wisdom, strength, and perseverance to be ambassadors of shalom, in words and deeds, in a world plagued by hostile forces and violence in its many forms!
« Je demanderai à Dieu par miséricorde de nous protéger. Ensuite, je vais enfumer, pour aider à purifier l’air, donner des médicaments et les prendre. J’éviterai les lieux, et les personnes, où ma présence n’est pas nécessaire pour ne pas être contaminé et aussi infliger et affecter les autres, pour ne pas causer leur mort par suite de ma négligence. Si Dieu veut me prendre, il me trouvera sûrement et j’aurai fait ce qu’il attendait de moi, sans être responsable ni de ma propre mort ni de la mort des autres. Si mon voisin a besoin de moi, je n’éviterai ni lieu ni personne, mais j’irai librement comme indiqué ci-dessus. Voyez, c’est une telle foi qui craint Dieu parce qu’elle n’est ni impétueuse ni téméraire et ne tente pas Dieu. » Martin Luther
Source :Œuvres de Luther Volume 43 p. 132 la lettre « Que l’on puisse fuir une peste mortelle » écrite au révérend Dr. John Hess.
Lamentations d’un jeune Mafa de Moskota condamné à l’exil dans des conditions infrahumaines suite aux exactions meurtrières de la secte islamiste Boko Haram contre les populations du Mayo Tsanaga dans l’Extrême-Nord du Cameroun. Lamentations of a young Mafa from Moskota condemned to live in exile, and in infrahuman conditions, following the murderous killings of the Islamist sect Boko Haram against the populations of Mayo Tsanaga in the Far North of Cameroon.
